Maintaining our map of 3D areas

November 11, 2015

Yesterday we had a look at the progress made by Google in releasing 3D imagery for Google Earth. For this we used this KML map that we maintain that shows the areas covered by 3D imagery. This has been made possible with the assistance of a number of dedicated GEB readers who have contributed to our map. Until recently the outlines were being drawn by GEB reader Anton Rudolfsson, who also came up with the idea of the timeline section. He has had to stop drawing outlines due to other commitments. A big thank you to him for his contributions.

Since then a number of other readers have been sending in KML outlines which we incorporate into the master KML file. A big thank you to all these contributors. Also a big thank you to all the 3D hunters who find new 3D areas and let us know about them. Until now, they have been using the comments in this post to report the locations of new finds. However, there are now so many comments that it is becoming difficult to scroll to the end, so we would like to ask all contributors to start using the comments in this post from today onwards. In addition, please try and keep comments to a minimum just noting new areas covered with 3D or for messages to fellow 3D hunters. If you have any questions for us or notes about errors in the KML, please email us directly if possible, using either the Contact us page or my email address: timothy at gearthblog.com.

If you wish to submit outlines please first read through the instructions found here.

Combining the outlines we receive into the master KML file is largely a manual process. We have created scripts, such as this one, to make it easier to do this, but it is still laborious. However, given the positive feedback from GEB readers we believe it is worth the effort.

As various 3D areas are expanded and merged, getting the outlines correct can be quite complicated.

About Timothy Whitehead

Timothy has been using Google Earth since 2004 when it was still called Keyhole before it was renamed Google Earth in 2005 and has been a huge fan ever since. He is a programmer working for Red Wing Aerobatx and lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

For the sake of posterity, I think we should continue updating the original thread of comments. Getting to the most recent comment is easy enough, just tap the ‘End’ key on your keyboard and you’re taken right to the bottom of the page.

Thanks! Interesting that the same imagery is still visible, but isn’t rendered in 3D anymore; I assume that’s what Johann was referring to above. So, the same area is still visible in GE but it now appears as flat. I can confirm that’s been the case for at least a few weeks now.

Note the fantastic improvement in 3D image quality, especially around Norwich Airport. The RAF military aircraft in the Norwich Airport Museum at the northern part of the airport are just stunning! You can easily see the RAF roundels and read the ‘USAF’ lettering. I am thoroughly impressed with the improvement!

Looks like Google is upping the competition with Apple Maps & Windows Maps.

When i go to to Istambul, Turkey, is not 3D the city, Turkey does not have 3D cities yet.
Turkey is not a new country.
Maybe Istambul will became a new 3D city in 2016. Please be patient, Makam Masasi Takimlari!

Yeah, I tried it and saw that it takes you somewhere completely different. 😀 Looks like they’re adding the Ruhr area in small pieces since it’s so dense.
On the top of my wish list is Frankfurt though. And of course my home near Dresden, Germany. The 3d coverage ends 1 km before my house.

Since everybody is confused about the 3D area I mentioned as “Kapellen, Germany”. In the area is a town included named Kapellen, however, if you put it in the search bar it takes you to another place in Germany called Kapellan which I was unaware of. I’m drawing the outlines right now and I’ve posted the coordinates somewhere in the comments above.

Has anybody else noticed that in Lexington, Kentucky the new 3D imagery takes away the Lexington Financial Tower? It makes me fairly mad too because it seems as if Google does not have the time to critique something on that grand of scale.

Some of the outskirts have been reduced in various places. It looks like Google reprocessed the imagery for this area in the same way they did with Berlin a couple weeks ago, so now Bucharest looks cleaner and more detailed.

Can you please cite your source for that information?
The spreadsheet on Google Docs has been updated and altered multiple times with “upcoming” locations and specific dates, but none of the locations you have listed have been added or updated yet.

Entire Walt Disney World site at Orlando, FL removed!
That specific area was just updated a few weeks ago with some of the best 3D imagery that Google has added, but for some reason all that brand new imagery was removed. I wonder why.

No it is still old. The imagery before it reverted was from 2015. Currently it is showing 2013. Here is what the removed 2015 imagery looked like from the west of Union Station. Notice the missing buildings in the current imagery. http://imgur.com/4FROgK7

i suggest you start to add updated areas within old areas as well, so you can see when they have been added. That would be very cool! (I just wanted to know about the new data that is completely within the old area in Würzburg, Germany)

This blog and its author are not an official source of information from Google that produces and owns Google Earth
Google and Google Earth are trademarks of Google Inc..
All image screenshots from Google Earth are Copyright Google.
All other trademarks appearing here are the trademarks of their respective owners.